ARPA-H has selected Massachusetts General Hospital for its PARADIGM program, which is building rugged electric vehicles to deliver advanced rural healthcare. ECRI is guiding device selection for the mobile units, which will offer cancer screenings, perinatal care, and hemodialysis.
A federal research agency has enlisted Massachusetts General Hospital to help build a new class of mobile medical vehicles designed for rural communities. This work falls under a program named PARADIGM, formally the Platform Accelerating Rural Access to Distributed and InteGrated Medical Care.
ARPA-H, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, directs the program. Its central aim involves delivering advanced clinical services in places situated far from conventional hospitals, drawing on progress in satellite communication and medical device miniaturization.
Engineers plan a rugged electric vehicle platform built to carry sophisticated capabilities into the field. Services slated for the units include multi-cancer screenings, perinatal care, and hemodialysis.
Massachusetts General Hospital contributes interoperable medical devices along with security and scalability measures across care settings. A team there, led by principal investigator Julian M. Goldman, MD, is developing a Medical Internet-of-Things platform for the effort.
ECRI, an independent healthcare safety nonprofit based in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, joined the hospital to guide device selection. Its review covers vital sign monitors, ultrasound systems, and point of care lab testing, with weight given to security, interoperability, and remote performance. ECRI announced the collaboration on November 13, 2025.